Al Hanisim

On Chanukah and Purim add:
We thank You also for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in days of old, at this season.

(41) Then Judah appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary. (42) He chose pure priests who had not abandoned the covenant of their Lord, and he commanded them to cleanse the sanctuary, and carry out the defiled stones into an unclean place. (43) And they saw that the alter of burnt offerings was profaned, and they consulted as to what should be done with it. (44) They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them because the heathen had defiled it, so they pulled it down, (45) And laid up the stones [of the alter] on the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to show what should be done with them (46) Then they took whole stones which had never been hewn with iron, according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former; (47) And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts (48) They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candelabrum, and the altar of incense, and the table of showbread. (49) And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple. (50) Furthermore they set the loaves of the showbread upon the table, and spread out the veils on the Ark, and finished all the works which they had begun to make. (51) Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Kislev, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up in the morning, and offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings. (52) They dedicated the alter on the same day the heathens profaned it, and they praised God with songs, violins, harps, and cymbals. (53) Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping God, because God had given them strength and salvation.(54) And they celebrated the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings and the offerings of thanksgiving with gladness in their hearts. (55) They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hung doors upon them. (56) And there was great gladness among the people, because God had rolled away the disgrace of the heathens from upon them. (57) And Judah and his brothers and the whole congregation of Israel ordained, to celebrate the dedication of the alter on the five and twentieth day of the month of Kislev for eight days, from year to year, with praise and thanks to God. ​​​​​​​

Now Judah Maccabee and his followers, the Lord leading them on, recovered the temple and the city; 2 they tore down the altars that had been built in the public square by the foreigners, and also destroyed the sacred precincts. 3 They purified the sanctuary, and made another altar of sacrifice; then, striking fire out of flint, they offered sacrifices, after a lapse of two years. 4 They offered incense and lighted lamps and set out the bread of the Presence. 5 When they finished all of these things they fell on their faces and beseeched God, saying 6 “Please, God, you guarded us to victory from this trouble that was with us. 7 And if we have sinned before you, rebuke us according to Your kindness, and do not give us over any further into the hands of foreigners who disgraced Your holy name.” 8It happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been profaned by the foreigners, the purification of the sanctuary took place, that is, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Kislev. 9They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the Festival of Booths, remembering how not long before, during the Festival of Booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals. 10Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to God who had given success to the purifying of God's own holy place. 11 They decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year.

(1)A song of the dedication of the house of David (Psalms 30:1) ... Why do we light Channukah lamps? At that time the sons of the Hasmonean, the great priest, triumphed over the kingdom of Greece. As it says “...I will arouse your children, O Zion, upon your children, O Yavan; ...” (Zechariah 9:13) [When] they entered the Temple they found there eight iron stakes (i.e. spears), fixed them in the ground and lit lamps upon them [i.e. they grooved them and then kindled wicks in the oil which they poured into the grooves.].

Why do we read the Hallel (psalms of praise)? Because it is written “The Lord is God, and He gave us light.” (Tehillim 118:27)

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

(2) When, on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the Jews had emerged victorious over their foes and destroyed them, they re-entered the Temple where they found only one jar of pure oil, enough to be lit for only a single day; yet they used it for lighting the required set of lamps for eight days, until they managed to press olives and produce pure oil.

(3) Because of this, the sages of that generation ruled that the eight days beginning with the twenty-fifth of Kislev should be observed as days of rejoicing and praising the Lord. Lamps are lit in the evening over the doors of the homes, on each of the eight nights, so as to display the miracle. These days are called Hanukkah, when it is forbidden to lament or to fast, just as it is on the days of Purim. Lighting the lamps during the eight days of Hanukkah is a religious duty imposed by the sages, like the reading of the Megillah on Purim.

On Chanukah and Purim add:
We thank You also for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in days of old, at this season.

On Chanukah—In the days of Mattathias the Hasmonean, son of Yochanan the great priest, and his sons, when the wicked Greco-Syrian kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah, and to turn them away from the laws of Your will, You, in Your abundant mercy rose up for them in the time of their trouble. You fought their fight, judged their cause, and avenged them with vengeance. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the arrogant into the hands of those engaged with Your Torah. For Yourself You made a great and holy name in Your world, and for Your people Israel You made a great deliverance and redemption as on this day. After these things Your children came into the sanctuary of Your house, cleansed Your temple, purified the place of Your holiness, kindled lights in Your holy courts, and established these eight days of Chanukah in order to give thanks and praises to Your great name.

(14) Any [holiday] on which there is no Mussaf [Amidah] for example, Hanukah and Purim, on Shaharit and Minhah one prays [the Amidah with] eighteen (Berakhot) and one mentions something about the occasion in [the Berakhah of] Hoda'ah (Thanksgiving).

And if one did not mention something about the occasion, one does not have to go back [to the beginning of the Amidah].

A dilemma was raised before the Sages: What is the ruling with regard to the obligation to mention Hanukkah in Grace after Meals? The dilemma is: Since it is merely an obligation by rabbinic law, do we not mention it? Or, perhaps due to publicity of the miracle, we mention it. Rava said that Rav Seḥora said that Rav Huna said: One does not mention it. And if, nevertheless, he comes to mention it, he mentions it in the blessing of thanksgiving. The Gemara relates that Rav Huna bar Yehuda happened by Rava’s house on Hanukkah. When, after eating, he came to recite Grace after Meals, he thought to mention Hanukkah in the blessing: Who builds Jerusalem. Rav Sheshet said to the yeshiva students: One mentions Hanukkah in Grace after Meals just as he does in the Amidaprayer. Just as in the Amidaprayer one mentions Hanukkah in the blessing of thanksgiving, so too, in Grace after Meals one mentions Hanukkah in the blessing of thanksgiving.

In the benediction for Thanksgiving³⁸Beginning ‘We give thanks’ (P.B., p. 51). we include [on Ḥanukkah] ‘and thanks for the wonders and salvation of Your priests which You wrought in the days of Mattathias, son of Yochanan, the great priest, and the Hasmoneans his sons. So also, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, perform for us miracles and wonders, and we will give thanks unto Thy name for ever. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who art all-good’.³⁹The present version of this form of thanksgiving is longer and differs in wording (P.B., p. 52). The miracles [of the days] of Mordecai and Esther are also mentioned [on Purim] in the benediction for Thanksgiving. Both⁴⁰Those for Ḥanukkah and Purim. are likewise mentioned in the Grace after meals.⁴¹In the second benediction (P.B., p. 281).

(2)On Chanukah and Purim add:
We thank You also for the miraculous deliverance, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in days of old, until our time.

(3) On Chanukah—In the days of Mattathias the Hasmonean, son of Yochanan the great priest, and his sons, when the wicked Greco-Syrian kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them abandon Your Torah, and to turn them away from the laws of Your will, You, in Your abundant mercy rose up for them in the time of their trouble. You fought their fight, judged their cause, and avenged them with vengeance. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the arrogant into the hands of those engaged with Your Torah. For Yourself You made a great and holy name in Your world, and for Your people Israel You made a great deliverance and redemption as on this day. After these things Your children came into the sanctuary of Your house, cleansed Your temple, purified the place of Your holiness, kindled lights in Your holy courts, and established these eight days of Chanukah in order to give thanks and praises to Your great name.

(5) who made miracles for our ancestors in their days in this season.

(1) We kindle these lights on account of the miracles, the deliverances and the wonders which You did for our ancestors, by means of thy holy priests. During all the eight days of Chanukah these lights are sacred, thus it is not permitted us to make any profane use of them; but we are only to look at them, in order that we may give thanks unto Your name for the miracles you preformed and the deliverances and wonders You gave to us.